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The Rock Dirt Archives

October 2005

The Rock Dirt
Published: October 26, 2005
Bono dines with the devil

Here’s a way to get the president’s attention: Be an international rock phenomenon. It got President Bush to cut his 27th vacation short and have lunch with Bono. (OK, I kid, he only took 17 vacations this year.) The two met last week during a D.C. stop on U2’s current tour to discuss some very serious issues, including AIDS, debt relief and world trade. It’s not the first time the two met, though; they previously discussed increasing aid to Africa during the G8 Summit this past summer.

Don’t think Damon Albarn’s all about his cartoon band Gorillaz. Au contraire! A new Blur EP is in the works and due by year’s end. The band also plans to do a run of UK pub shows around the holiday season. There’s also no plan in the works to replace departed guitarist Graham Coxon.

Once was apparently not enough. Vegas’ best dressed dance/rock outfit, The Killers, are reissuing their super-selling debut, “Hot Fuss,” on Nov. 22 in limited-edition boxed set form. Only 5,000 copies are expected and will include individual seven-inch vinyl singles for every track, a rare B-side, an acoustic version of “Smile Like You Mean It” and remixes of both “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside.” How lucky for us.

Re-reissue. Queen’s “A Night at the Opera” will be re-released on Nov. 22 as a 30th anniversary collector’s edition. A bonus DVD will include some fancy audio geek DTS 5.1 surround sound mixes, band commentary and clips featuring the late, great leader Freddie Mercury (who’ll have passed 14 years ago this Nov. 24).

Rumors continue to circulate over who’ll be the next band seeking reinvention by way of reality TV. The jury’s still out as to whether “ROCKSTAR” the TV show will even return for a second season as ratings were, well, eh. Some of those circling rumors echo Van Halen. VH, meanwhile, says it just ain’t happenin’. What’s sadder is the rumor that surviving members of Alice in Chains are being courted. Singer Layne Staley passed away in 2002. On behalf of AIC fans everywhere, “Please, God, no!”

Disturbed’s been forced to cancel the remainder of its current European tour for singer David Draiman’s recent diagnosis of severe inflammation of the vocal chords. He’s been advised by a specialist to rest his voice completely. No word on if his condition will affect the upcoming “Jagermeister Music Tour” scheduled to kick off on Nov. 4 in Minneapolis and hitting Boston’s Avalon on Dec 2 and 3. www.disturbed1.com

The reunited Black Crowes cap off a great year and will surely bring down the house this New Year’s Eve with their first-ever headlining gig at NYC’s Madison Square Garden. My Morning Jacket and the North Mississippi Allstars have been invited to support.

Take note. If you’ll be attending Audioslave’s Halloween show at the Tsongas, word is Audioslave’s “people” will be on the look out for the best costumed fans. Those best dressed could find themselves featured on Audioslave.com!

The Rock Dirt
Published: October 19, 2005
Green Day takes a cue from Michael Jackson

Is Green Day the new Michael Jackson? OK, no, but the newly lensed video for “Jesus of Suburbia” could be the new “Thriller,” at least according to Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. The band just filmed a 14-minute epic video for “Jesus of Suburbia” with director Samuel Bayer.

And so grows the Green Day empire with the release of its “Bullet in a Bible” DVD on Nov. 15. “BIAB” is scheduled for preview screenings across the country on Nov. 1. Check www.bigscreenconcerts.com often for specifics.

Tell all time. Eric Clapton signed a hefty deal ($5 million) to write what is sure to be a beefy autobiography. The still untitled memoir is expected in spring ’07 and is being co-written with longtime friend Christopher Simon Sykes. A retrospective box set and tour is expected to coincide with its release.

The need to know, or at least the need to tell, continues in another rock ’n’ roll memoir from Police guitarist Andy Summers called “One Train Later.”

Meanwhile, author Sorelle Saidman beat Axl Rose to the punch with the unauthorized biography, “Axl: The Life and Times of Axl Rose and Guns N’ Roses,” which will arrive in April. The book will document the band’s history from the rise of its original lineup through its current (and perhaps imaginary) studio efforts. Of the book, Saidman says it “will provide no end of revelations, none of which can be discussed as yet.” Juicy.

Tommy Lee suffered minor injuries during a pyro mishap at the tail end of a recent Mötley Crüe gig in Casper, Wy. Always a trooper, Tommy played on despite some serious burns. The band’s usual encore was called off once the extent of hisinjuries was realized. Tommy was hospitalized for treatment of minor burns to his face and arms and released.

“Rock Star” runner-up Marty Casey and his band, the Chicago-based Lovehammers, will open for the upcoming INXS tour featuring Marty’s one-time archenemy J.D. Fortune. See them all Feb. 10 at Boston’s Wang Center. www.lovehammers.com

“The Doors: Live in Philadelphia” will be released Nov. 29 in double-disc form chronicling the band’s May 1970 show at the Spectrum.

For what would all original members of R.E.M. reunite? A wedding reception. Former drummer Bill Berry joined band mates Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck for a seven-song set at the wedding of a member of its road crew in Atlanta recently. Shiny happy people getting drunk.

Waltham the band gets “Made?”

The Rock Dirt
Published: Oct 12, 2005
Get your One Way Ticket to Hell!

Dust off them one-piece spandex jumpsuits, The Darkness is back! The most exciting reinventors of ’70s rock of late return with “One Way Ticket to Hell . . . and Back” on Nov 29. Get your rock on and hear the title track at www.myspace.com/thedarkness.
Speaking of reinvention, the rare Frank Zappa “Dub Room Special” will see a DVD release on Oct. 18. What makes it so rare is that it was originally released in the early ’80s via mail order on VHS and Beta (Beta!) only.

While Nine Inch Nails’ drummer Jerome Dillon continues to deal with a still-unidentified heart condition, Josh Freese has been called upon to take over. Josh, known for many projects including his work with the Vandals and A Perfect Circle, received some kudos from Trent for his short stay with NIN thus far. In fact, Trent posted some accolades at nin.com including, “Believe the hype about that guy – he is one of the greats!”

We all wonder who’d play us in the movie of our lives. Well, Mike Myers will tackle legendary Who drummer Keith Moon for an upcoming biopic. Before you get pissed, the project is the brainchild of the Who’s own Roger Daltrey and is something he’s been working on for well over a decade. My next question – who’ll play Pete?

Queens of the Stone Age will go “Over The Years And Through The Trees” – actually that’s the title of the band’s first-ever concert DVD shot over two nights in London last month. QotSA promise “lots and lots of extras and never-before-seen stupidity” on the DVD, which is due to drop Nov. 22. www.qotsa.com

As previously reported in the Dirt, Filter’s Richard Patrick has in fact teamed with Stone Temple Pilots’ Robert and Dean DeLeo to form new band Army of Anyone. We can look for the band’s debut in early ’06. www.officialfilter.com

Get behind me, Jon Stewart? White Stripes make fake news history to become the first-ever musical guest on “The Daily Show” on Dec. 1.

Andrew Wood’s star was on the rise in early 1990 as singer for Seattle band Mother Love Bone. That was until one fateful night in March 1990 when that star burned out. Andrew’s story will finally be told by way of the new documentary, “Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story,” and will feature interviews from friends, including Chris Cornell (also a one time roommate) and Kim Thayill – both formerly of behemoth Seattle band Soundgarden, as well as MLB bandmates and current members of Pearl Jam, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament. www.malfunkshun.com

Who’ll win the feud between The Killers and Fall Out Boy? Survey says . . .

The Rock Dirt
Published: Oct 5, 2005
Homecoming of sorts for Cars frontman, Rick Ocasek

Former Cars’ singer Ric Ocasek will grace us with his solo presence in a very rare club show Monday, Oct. 10, at Harper’s Ferry in Allston. Tickets for this gem of a show are likely gone by now, as the venue has a capacity not much over 300. Set your Tivo for his “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” appearance on Oct. 6. I will. Listen to clips from Ric’s new record, “Nexterday,” at www.ricocasek.com.

The annual New Orleans’ Voodoo Music Experience has been relocated to Memphis’ Tom Lee Park for all the obvious reasons. Proceeds for the annual event scheduled for Halloween weekend, Oct. 29 and 30, will benefit the New Orleans Restoration Fund. VH1 will air a showcase of performances from the festival on Saturday, Nov 5. Among the scheduled acts for VME: Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor was a New Orleans resident until very recently), Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Billy Idol, New York Dolls, Social Distortion, The Bravery and My Chemical Romance. www.voodoomusicfest.com

This just in: Rock is not dead . . . this week. Disturbed’s “Ten Thousand Fists” rings in at numero uno on this week’s Billboard 200 chart moving 238,000 copies its first week out. Prog rock for the 21st century makes a fine showing in Coheed and Cambria’s “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness” as it moves 84,000 copies to land at No. 7.

The spin is in. From the confines of her latest court-ordered rehab, Courtney Love goes on damage control. Through her manager she issued a statement “clarifying” that the details included in the soon-to-be released book, “Her Mother’s Daughter,” by Linda Carroll – her own mother – contains “woeful inaccuracies that Love won’t dignify in individual responses.” (That must mean it’s all true.)

Cat’s out of the bag. Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz will join forces for a fall road trip. That’s the what. Here’s the where and the when: The Garden, Nov 12. www.ticketmaster.com

Staind is getting ready for the “Fall Brawl,” its upcoming tour with Taproot and P.O.D. launching Nov. 11 in San Jose, Calif., and running through the end of the season (hence the name). A previously scheduled date in Staind’s hometown of Springfield, Mass., on Dec. 13 has been cancelled. No word yet on a rescheduled date but stay tuned. www.fallbrawltour.com

How many music hacks does it take to make up one lame reality show? Apparently just two: Steve Harwell, singer of band-turned-Disney fave Smashmouth and obnoxious Poison guitarist (who needs a smash in the mouth) C.C. Deville will be part of the new season of Surreal Life scheduled for January on VH1.